“I stab you, you fall down, and die”: Morgan Freeman Put a Young Denzel Washington at His Place for Trying to Steal His Limelight
It is strange to imagine a time when Denzel Washington was not the terrific force of nature everyone has got to know and love. But as they say, every master was once a beginner. Washington too was once a young, naive being with dreams and ambitions to leave his mark on the world.
In his juvenile naivety, Washington once tried to steal the limelight of his co-star who played the lead role in a play. The co-star happened to be Morgan Freeman.
Washington’s efforts to do so were in vain as Freeman quickly put him in his place.
Denzel Washington Wanted Morgan Freeman’s Limelight
Denzel Washington went to acting school to hone his skills. Not long after, he was doing small gigs and plays to further his acting career. During that period, the talented young man got the golden opportunity to work with none other than Morgan Freeman.
The two would go on to star in great films like the 1989 movie Glory. The film won Washington his first Oscar and a great friendship with Freeman. This powerful alliance did not start out strong. Working together in the Shakespeare play Coriolanus during the famous New York Shakespeare Festival back in the day, it is safe to say the two legendary actors, pretty much got off the wrong foot.
That had a lot to do with Washington’s vanity. He was young and excited. Trying to change things up to make himself the center of attention was his general way to go around things. While honoring Freeman at the Kennedy Center in 2008, Washington shared the anecdote of his reaction to getting the opportunity to sword fight with Freeman.
Speaking of the improv suggestion that apparently ended horribly, for the two-time Academy Award winner, Washington said to The Digital Fix:
“I had a scene where I had this three-hit sword fight with Morgan. And of course, I thought the play was all about my character. So I went up to Morgan and I said: ‘I think maybe I could wound you, cut slice’.”
Freeman absolutely did not like that.
Morgan Freeman Put Denzel Washington in His Place
Morgan Freeman who is more experienced in life, saw through Washington and did not hesitate to put the new kid on the block in his place. As Washington told at the Kennedy Centre:
“Morgan looked at me with that Morgan Freeman gaze, you know the one I’m talking about, that serious look. He said to me: ‘First of all, what’s your name?’ I said: ‘You don’t know me, I’m Denzel’. He said: ‘Alright, Denzel. We click the swords three times, click click click. I stab you, you fall down, and you die. Quickly’.”
Looking at these events in a different light changes things.
The two went on to become two of the biggest names in the film industry and the best of friends. What is most ironic is how Freeman so openly admitted to being envious of Washington’s acting career decades after he bashed the young man in a Shakespeare play.
Read More: $40M Rich Star Wars Actor Pushed Denzel Washington to Change His Career Just Like Dwayne Johnson
Source: The Digital Fix
